1. Traditional Worldviews of FN Peoples in North America
BLM

2. What is a Worldview?
- a persons set of beliefs or assumptions about the world and how it works.
-may be understood through our own set of ‘wearing glasses’. We each look at the world through our own set of “lenses” that affects how we perceive the world, other people, and our experiences.
-they are held consciously and subconsciously
-guide our thinking and actions
-many influences “shade” or affect ones WV. Such as traditions, religion, language, culture, and/or spirituality.
Taking a HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE- in this course….meaning trying to understand events from the worldview of someone in the past….

3. Aspects of Worldview: 1-Spirituality
-From a First Nation perspective it is the understanding/connection of one’s place in the universe
-Each community has its own unique traditions and ceremonies
- Interconnection between all living things is an important aspect
-All organic matter has a spirit as well as rocks and river and sky
-Value placed on balance and harmony

4. Spirituality cont….
-Many people believed that animals sacrificed themselves for the hunt and did not want to offend the animal’s spirit through waste
-Ininew (Cree) never pointed at prey or stepped in their tracks
- The Sayisi Dene buried their bones so the spirit could collect them on the way to afterlife
-In many communities people were taught to find harmony between their spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aspects

5. 2- Caretakers of the Land
-Traditional worldview did not include a sense of land ownership
-Traditional territories defined by natural barriers likes rivers and forests
-Negotiations between communities helped ensure sustainable use of resources
-shared resources between communities/respect
-Land and humans well being was equal

6. Caretakers of the Land cont.
- The well-being of the community was dependent on the well-being of the land, the gifts of the Creator were not to be abused
-The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) were to consider the welfare of seven generations when making land decisions
-Oral traditions taught of the resources available and how to use them
- Nomadic societies did not wander aimlessly but in a precise pattern according to the knowledge seasons/food from ancestors

7. 3- Language
-words to describe everything, sound, sight and words to reflect thoughts
-Most traditional FN languages were verb based, which tends to blur boundaries of living and nonliving things and instead concentrate on connections and relationships

8. 4- Values
-co-operation, autonomy, sharing and diversity and autonomy were important values
-all members of the community contributed to its wellbeing
-food and other goods were shared throughout a community and those that shared most were most respected
-respect over material goods, practical

9. 4- Values
-sharing was a practical value as nomadic communities faced tough tasks of constantly moving possessions and hunting
-on the West Coast where resources were abundant the Potlatch ceremony developed
-host families distributed wealth and gifts to guests such as canoes, copper, and blankets

10. 5- Oral Traditions
-Stories were shared to entertain, educate, preserve cultural ideas, and to keep a record of alliances and agreements with other nations
-spiritual stories for ceremonies or creation (significant cultural stories)
-storytellers paid great attention to detail and accuracy, only certain people had the right to tell stories
-the Haudenosaunee used Wampum Belts as a way to record important agreements, which included symbols that elders could read like a book

11. 5- Oral Traditions
-Stories were shared to entertain, educate, preserve cultural ideas, and to keep a record of alliances and agreements with other nations
-spiritual stories for ceremonies or creation (significant cultural stories)
-storytellers paid great attention to detail and accuracy, only certain people had the right to tell stories
-the Haudenosaunee used Wampum Belts as a way to record important agreements, which included symbols that elders could read like a book